Renewal

The final and significantly envied attribute of the eagle is its ability to renew itself. The master designer of all things created and endowed the eagle with this tremendous asset to its life and existence.

Renewal ensures relevance and longevity.

Research shows that just as every other creature the eagle's feathers and beak become worn due to their usual activity. The eagle at this stage of its life will fly to a high secluded place where it will begin to pluck off its feathers and knock off its beak and wait for them to grow afresh.

We cannot help but appreciate that this time for the eagle is one of vulnerability. It can't defend itself or escape any enemies, it can't hunt to find food but, must endure this season until he can do all he wishes again. His security during the time of renewal is found in the height and remoteness of that solitary place. But it endures this vulnerable stage to ensure it remains an apex predator and enjoy an extended life in the fight.

Similarly, we have the ability to review and renew ourselves. The method ordained by God for our renewal is not much different from that of the eagle. We must go into our solitary place, strip ourselves of everything we held dear, as profitable in our lives and allow new ones, that are strong enough and not worn out and weak through the wear and tear associated with our daily lives, to grow on us. During this season, as the eagle is protected by God, so are we during those times of our lives.

God has designed us for renewal but, often times we do not engage in the activities necessary for such. Isaiah 40:31 says. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint."

Waiting on God in the secret place is what renews us.

Focus

Wait in His presence today and develop fresh new assets to remain relevant and have a long life.

Prayer

God we thank You. We thank You that You have built us as the eagle. That just as the eagle can renew itself, so we can renew ourselves. So Father I pray today that You would give us the wisdom. Give us the discipline Father to wait on our time. Protect us through this vulnerable time in our lives as we seek to renew ourselves. As we have been shut away, we come out strengthened, with new feathers and a new beak. We come out with a new lease on life, to serve You and to do great things for You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Test Before Trust

One of the greatest challenges of human existence is the dynamics connected to human relationships. We tend to trust quickly and many times pay a painful price for bestowing upon others the honour of our trust.

It was president Ronald Regan who popularized the statement "trust but verify".

The failure of human relationship is many times the fact that we do not test people before they get into our circles.

A remarkable attribute of the eagle is the fact that it does not trust until it tests. Whenever any male eagle expresses an interest in pursuing a relationship it does not easily gain the privilege of trust without being tested. The female eagle will take a twig and fly to various heights dropping the twig. That pursuing mate must seek to catch that twig before it touches the ground. If it catches that twig repeatedly then it has earned the right to be trusted. The main reason is that eagles have a mate for life and that partner must be able to catch the most precious thing that they will share, which is a young one.

We have all made the mistake in life of trusting too quickly or expeditiously, because we tend to form relationships around our immediate need and not our future ambitions. Friends are not necessarily for when times are good but they are proven in tough times.

Can you trust those in your inner circle to be there when you need them most?

Proverbs 17:17 says "a friend loves at all times". The old proverb says that a friend in need is a friend in deed.

Focus

You owe it to yourself today to choose and prove those in your circle. It's your right.

Test before you trust.

Prayer

Father we thank you. We thank you God for the ability to trust, but we thank you for the wisdom to test. I pray in the name of Jesus that we would not seek to go after relationships quickly and trust too quickly. But God that we would use the wisdom you have given us today to test individuals before we trust them. May you give us the wisdom required. May you give us the strength required to make the choices in life as it concerns relationships. We bless you for this today in Jesus’ Amen.

Storm

Another lesson from the eagle is its perspective on the storm. It is said that the eagle never seeks to shelter from a storm but instead, uses the winds and gusts to soar higher into the skies.

To the eagle, every storm is an opportunity to go higher, faster and without personal effort. It's expectation at the coming of every storm, is one that anticipates the opportunity it provides.

A storm for most spells trouble in life. It creates loss of many things, including a threat to their very existence. Many animals do not survive a storm because surviving within it can prove to be difficult but rising above it is the place of safety.

What storms are we facing? Let's develop this attribute of the eagle that when the storm comes or is about to come we can embrace the opportunity it provides us to go higher than we've ever been.

Vern Jackson sings "I'm flying higher than I've ever been". Make this our prayer today as we to adjust our perspective of a storm and embrace its opportunities for development.

Scripture: Isaiah 31:5

like flying birds so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem, he will protect and deliver it, he will pass over and rescue it.

Focus

Your current or coming storm is an opportunity, embrace it.

Prayer

Father, we come to you knowing that you are our God and you have made us resilient and resourceful. We thank you for the storms of our lives that are designed to push us upward to different realms. May we embrace the opportunity each storm brings us and may we realize the benefits of it. So we soar with you Lord above every storm. In Jesus’ name, Amen.